Page 33 of Six of Hearts
Aria sat across from me, working on her club sandwich with the same focused attention she gave everything. I watched her, cataloging details the way I would a building site.
The way she tucked her hair behind her ear when it fell forward.
The small smile that played at her lips when she caught me looking. The elegant line of her neck, the delicate architecture of her collarbones visible above her sweater.
"So," she said, setting down her sandwich and fixing me with a look that made my pulse quicken. "I have a confession."
"Oh?"
"I didn't just come by to bring you lunch." She leaned forward slightly, and I caught a hint of her perfume—something light and floral that made me want to lean in closer.
"I wanted to see you, specifically. Specifically."
The way she said it, with that slight emphasis on the last word, sent heat straight through me.
"I'm glad you did."
"Are you?" She picked up her coffee, took a sip, her eyes never leaving mine. "Because I've been thinking about something."
"What's that?"
"Ronan and I... we had an amazing time together." She said it casually, but I saw the flush that crept up her neck, the way her pupils dilated slightly. "And Liam. And Julian. They've all been incredible."
I set down my sandwich, my appetite shifting to something else entirely.
"But?"
"But you're the one I met first." She leaned back, a challenge in her eyes now.
"You're the one who interviewed me, who gave me this job, who made me feel welcome. And I keep wondering..."
"Wondering what?"
"If you can top them."
The words hung in the air between us, a dare and an invitation all at once. I felt something shift in my chest, that competitive edge sharpening to a fine point. I'd always been driven, always needed to be the best at what I did. It was what made me a good architect—that refusal to settle for anything less than perfect.
And right now, looking at Aria with that playful smile and those challenging eyes, I wanted to be perfect for her.
"Is that a challenge?" I asked, my voice dropping lower.
"Maybe." She bit her lip, and I wanted to bite it too. "Think you're up for it?"
I signalled for the check, my mind already racing ahead, calculating angles and possibilities. "Let's find out."
***
I drove us to a spot I knew, a secluded overlook on the outskirts of the city where I sometimes came when I needed to think. The view was spectacular—you could see the entire downtown skyline, all those buildings I'd helped design or had studied, their lines and angles creating a geometric pattern against the sky.
But I wasn't thinking about architecture as I pulled into the empty lot and killed the engine.
Aria turned to me, and the look in her eyes made my blood run hot. "Here?"
"Here." I reached for her, pulling her across the centre console. She came willingly, straddling my lap in the driver's seat, her knees on either side of my hips. The fit was tight, confined, but perfect. "Unless you want to wait."
"I don't want to wait." She ground down against me, and I groaned at the pressure, at the heat of her even through our clothes. "I've been thinking about this all morning."
"Yeah?" I slid my hands up her sides, feeling the curve of her waist, the flare of her ribs. "What have you been thinking?"
